Premium
Horton's Law of Stream Numbers
Author(s) -
Scheidegger A. E.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/wr004i003p00655
Subject(s) - law of large numbers , mathematics , graph , law , statistical physics , statistics , discrete mathematics , random variable , physics , political science
The possibilities for obtaining a rational explanation of Horton's law of stream numbers are reviewed. The previous explanations of the stream‐number law by (1) a growth model referring to generations of rivers and by (2) statistical graph‐theory are compared. The graph‐theoretical explanation seems superior to the other model of Horton's law, inasmuch as it produces not only the form of the law, but even, numerically, the naturally observed bifurcation ratio. It is also independent of the structural properties of the river net.